Construction Zone

Only in Israel do people move construction barricades in order for their spouses to be able to park in a construction zone.
There is a serious lack of parking availability in Tel Aviv but that's no excuse for potentially having your car bulldozed.

Playing Doctor

Only in Israel are you at the hospital and asked by the nurse if you want to get an iv put in or not. I was not aware that I had a degree in Medicine.
After the iv was haphazardly removed, I was released from the hospital with blood and liquids dripping down my arm.

Where Everybody Knows Your Name

Only in Israel are you welcomed back to the country with hugs and kisses from your friendly owners of your past frequented convenience store and shwarma stand.
I would like to point out that they are both Israeli men in their 50s. I was also asked by one of the shuk salesmen and a home-goods store owner where I had been for the past year and why I had not come to visit them.

Free Spray

Only in Israel do you go up to a store counter, pay for a boxed-up perfume, only to have the cashier open up the box, take out the bottle, spray a a squirt on her wrist and proceed to tell you that it is one of her favorite scents.
It was an inexpensive body spray but that's beside the point.

Workout DJ

Only in Israel will you find a dj spinning techno music at your local gym. I was unaware that gyms are, in actuality, disguised dance bars with fruit shakes replacing alcohol and running instead of dancing. Thankfully, I'm all for techno but for those who are not, it's pretty unfortunate. On a completely different note, I'm pretty sure men don't go to the gym in Israel to workout those muscles. I think they may see gyms as a pick-up bar.
Other music played at gyms includes house, pop, house, and pop.

Rum Raisin Yogurt

Only in Israel do you find rum raisin-flavored yogurt in the supermarket refrigerated section. Never crossing my mind that such a flavor would exist, I did not bother to read the words on the label and only glanced at the picture of raisins. Next time, I'm reading the label and checking it twice.
Other yogurt flavors include passion fruit, peach, pineapple, cappuccino, apple cider, kiwi, and good 'ole strawberry.

The Return to "Only in Israel..." Days

It's all coming back to me: heat, humidity, sunshine, flies, chutzpah, shouting, shoving, veggies, meat, oh, and the driving. I'm back in the "Land of Milk and Honey". Wait, scratch that. I'm back in the Land of Matkot and Hummus. And, to be honest, although this description may not seem all that appealing, I couldn't be happier to be back in Israel.

This should have been introduced last year, but well, better late than never. I'm here to give you a glimpse into some of Israel's everyday baffling encounters one may think are fictitious, but in actuality are true and genuinely amusing.